Is Being Traumatised the New Norm? - Centre For Peaceful Solutions

Maria Arpa

15 November 2017

Maria’s Midweek Mindfulness Moments

Emotional trauma is when what we encounter or are exposed to exceeds one’s ability to cope or integrate the emotions involved with that experience.

In the current climate of our mainstream society, sex and violence are unavoidable and more explicit than ever. The exposure has steadily increased in the past 10 to 15 years (remember when Clockwork Orange or The Exorcist were shocking?) to the point where we now have entire generations who have no other reference point and numbly accept the exposure as an everyday picture.

With the development of the internet and on demand TV, freely available violence and porn are treated as entertainment. However, the underlying influence is profoundly damaging to our core values as humans, causing a drip-fed emotional trauma. Trauma takes time to heal and recognising it is only a small step in the healing process. Unhealed trauma can manifest itself as unhealthy behaviours – is this what is happening in our society?

Would you be able to identify something that has traumatised you? How does it affect your life? What adjustment do you make to protect your unhealed self?

I have an example of my own. Some years ago I was caught in a house fire in New York. The fire spread so fast that we barely escaped unscathed. The house burned down to the ground and I was in a strange city with only my underwear.

My trauma based on above definition manifested itself in a strange habit of buying two of everything. To me this was normal and it took me quite a while to see it that it was a coping mechanism.

With love, light and gratitude. Maria Arpa -x-

As ever, running a charity means asking for help and support.

One thing you can do to help is to tell others about our work so that we can spread the word. It would also help us greatly if you would post, repost, tweet and support us to get more subscribers.

If you have time to spare, or if you have an idea to share, or want to get involved please get in touch. We’d love to hear from you.